Tangled
by Angela and MiniMix
Summary: When lies and truth have become entangled so closely that one is the other, what are we to do? Learning to let go of the hate is sometimes the hardest thing you can do...


Thank Yamishiningfriendship for helping me fix this so that it's proper and in order and crap. It's not the best, but it's okay, and I like it kinda. Thank her for that too.

I don't own, you don't sue, I won't have to stalk you. :D

Quote of that chapter: Bakura: XD The children that exist in here  
SpiritBoy: ..They exist? I thought they were a myth. THEY'RE ALL LIES. --Angela and SpiritBoy in the IRC.

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_"What a tangled web we weave", said the fly to the spider.  
"But no more tangled than Fate's threads," was the reply to the fly.  
"Ah, but Fate's threads untangle with Time," he said.  
"And when Time is dead, what is the use of living?" she asked.  
"Indeed. What _is_ the use of living?"_

[The Prologue

Bakura closed his eyes to Atemu's face.

"You hate me, I know. I lost everything to you once Atemu. This time I will hold them tightly. I will not lose Ryou or Sydney as well. They are mine. You will not taint her with your hate." He opened his eyes. "She is my child, mine alone. Murderer I may be, but I am not evil. If you wish to see true evil, then look inside a mirror."

"I am not evil, Bakura. And I shall never stop hating you for the innocents you destroyed."

"Hate me if you wish Atemu, but do not drag her into this war. She is innocent, she is young. I will not stain her with blood, and you won't give her your hate, I will not let you."

Atemu opened his mouth to reply. "My father and his priests did what needed to be done to save many. Millions over one hundred Bakura. Even the Gods would not let millions die to save only one hundred."

"The Gods? The Gods did not condone what was done! In doing so, in forging items intended for _peace _through the_ Dark Arts_, you opened a door that should have stayed closed! You unleashed an evil so great, it took your own _life_ to seal it away! You should have been punished for the deaths of Kuru Eru, never mind opening that door!

But the Gods themselves could not punish you for Kuru Eru, for letting loose the darkness, because among them, you too were a God. And Gods can not punish other Gods. But I, _I_, could. As a mere _mortal_, I gave you the punishment the Gods could not. One life for each Kuru Eru lost that night. One hundred lives, paid for with the blood of one hundred more. No more, but no less either."

"You would sacrifice almost all of Egypt for one hundred lives?" he hissed. "Do not tell me the Gods did not condone saving my people! My father did what was needed, Thief, and you would do well to remember it! And _you_, punish me? You did not punish me, you merely killed one hundred innocent lives, the very thing you claim to have avenged! You speak of innocents, and yet you yourself did not distinguish between the innocent and the guilty! You lust only for power, Bakura, not for revenge! And when Egypt rises again, I will personally make sure you get what you deserve!"

"You're weaving a heavily tangled web, Pharaoh. Lies upon lies, truth upon tale-truths, twisted into half-truths. Can you see what I can no longer see? Where did we begin? Where do we end? Egypt has fallen, Atemu, and she will not rise again."

Atemu's stare was flat. "You can't believe Egypt has fallen forever, Tomb Robber."

"She has fallen, Atemu! Look around you, do you see her? It is these foreign countries, America, Europe, Japan, who rule now! Egypt's glory has died and the _Age of Pharaohs is three thousand years past_! Time for us has stopped, we are dead and so is our land! Egypt will never rise again Pharaoh." His smile was bitter, mocking. "It is time to stop pretending. You are a king no more, Atemu. You are not even alive. You are a shell of something long dead, a naive boy's puppet. Can't you see it? We are all puppets now, dancing on strings for a Master we do not know. Death breathed down our necks, and Death killed us all." Atemu was silent.

"And still we are here."

"You are a fool Atemu. A fool. You are Yuugi's plaything, a doll for when he is lonely. And you are so caught up in your hate that you can't even see it."

"And what of your hate, Tomb Thief?"

He laughed. "You don't get it! I gave up my hate three millenia ago! With one hundred lives repaid in blood, I _let_ you have me. I let it end! Did you truly think that you could catch me, King of all thieves? I _walked_ into your arms that night, and let myself die. I was tired, I was satisified. Kuru Eru was satisfied. It was my turn to die that night. _That_ is why I relinquished my hate and let it all end."

He turned to go. "I ask again. Do not involve her in this foolish war. She is guilty of nothing but loving me when no one else could."

In the silence after his departure, Atemu closed his eyes.

"Fate's web has already entangled her in it's clutches, Bakura. The moment you set eyes on that child, she was drawn into this war..."

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And that's it. I'm not sure what happens next, but.. Yeah.

The "her" Bakura references so often, is Sydney, the girl he's adopted. That'll all be explained later, I think? No idea.

EDIT: Here's a link to my LJ. Anyone wanting updates or previews of the next chapters, go there. http :// caramelcamels. livejournal. com/ profile


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